In The News

Samuel Bendett said, “Certain weapons can be used for a very long time since they fulfill a function that remains unchanged. An AK-47 is almost 70 years old at this point and has changed little. Simple submachine or machine guns have remained unchanged as well, like the M2 Browning still in use."

Samuel Bendett said, “Many of these are small, first-person-view, or FPV, drones — not that different than what people can buy in the commercial market.”

Samuel Bendett said, “Russian soldiers are using Ghoul (Upyr), Ovod, Piranha, Horetnisya, Joker, Gastello, Molniya fixed wing and many other [drones] that don’t get a lot of news or Telegram coverage. Some of these are supplied only to specific units and formations, others are more widespread across the force.”

Samuel Bendett said, ““Mass-scale saturation of front lines would take some time, though Ukrainian military, United 24 and Brave1 are promising fast deliveries given the need for such systems.”

Samuel Bendett explained, “"Presumably [the drone lost las week] has top resources and investments, materials and products, including microelectronics and other key components. The fact that there are so few S-70s means the loss could also slow [Russia’s] development."

Lt. Col. Travis Hord, Planner, J-5, Strategic Plans and Policy, and CNA’s Samuel Bendett discuss developing and implementing new drone capabilities.

Samuel Bendett said, “[These drones] are not that difficult to put together. They’re not that difficult to purchase. It takes just several weeks to learn how to fly them and again, there’s been years’ worth of experience now collected by the Russian military in Ukraine how to use these drones that can be passed down to their allies.”

Dmitry Gorenburg said, “Russia wasn’t targeting grain ships and Ukraine was largely staying away from Russian Navy ships in the eastern Black Sea.”

Samuel Bendett said, “the apparent loss of the S-70 a "significant win" for Western intelligence given that it has been Moscow's flagship drone project for more than a decade.”

Samuel Bendett said, "Drone on drone is a new development."

Samuel Bendett said, “Russian volunteers, as well as state and affiliated manufacturers, had significantly ramped up the development of FPV drones and were likely handing off tens of thousands of FPVs to the Russian military each month.”

Samuel Bendett said, “Beijing would be hesitant to open itself up to international sanctions for helping Moscow's war machine, and that more information was needed to establish that China was playing host to production of Russian military drones.”

Dov Zakheim writes, “Even as Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region has prompted speculation surrounding the implications of Kyiv’s military successes for potential talks, Russian leaders have rejected negotiations amid assertions that Moscow won’t negotiate “under pressure.”

Samuel Bendett said, “If [Garpiya’s wreckage] is happening, it could indicate that Russia can now rely more on domestic development as well as, obviously, on China, since both sides in this war depend on many Chinese components for drone production

Samuel Bendett said, “If Ukraine maintains pressure on Russian industrial and military sites and potential targets, that is going to have a significant consequence on how Russia fights.”

Dmitry Gorenburg writes, “In launching its offensive into Kursk, Ukraine took a serious risk by shaking up the war narrative and improving its position in a potential future negotiation. On the ground, the offensive has developed in a highly favorable way for Ukraine. However, it is still too early to tell whether that will result in strategic benefits for Ukraine’s overall war effort.”